Orig. Posting Date | User Name | Edit Date |
Jun 23, 2023 03:43AM | 6464s | |
May 8, 2023 12:24AM | Alex | |
May 7, 2023 06:45PM | bikewiz | |
May 7, 2023 04:45AM | 6464s | |
May 6, 2023 06:42PM | bikewiz | Edited: May 6, 2023 06:45PM |
May 6, 2023 05:03AM | 6464s | Edited: May 6, 2023 08:25AM |
Total posts: 504
Last post: May 15, 2024 Member since:Jan 25, 2017
|
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0 WorkBench Posts: 0 |
Total posts: 10241
Last post: May 15, 2024 Member since:Mar 24, 1999
|
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0 WorkBench Posts: 0 |
![]() |
I've been running the 'Sport 4-pots on two of the cars since 2015, and my recently acquired Estate has them too.
They add at least 15 BHP* per car, but do nothing noticeable in terms of braking ability or handling. What they do have are fragile bleed nipples and pistons prone to sticking. I fitted std AP calipers to the Hornetto, as I had them on hand.
The prototype 'Spares non-gen 2-pots are still working fine on Lowla, and they are what I will fit to Pooh if I don't convert it back to drums.
Weight aside as we're not racers, the big advantage of the alloy hubs was BHP* and the use of pre-'84 Metro balljoints for reliability and lack of shimming without the pain of using Metro hubs and their wonky geometry. The arrival of the sealed Japanese balljoints makes them unneccessary in my mind, as the simplicity and reliability can be obtained in about 10 mins a side.
From experience, hubs only like their bearings being changed once or maybe twice and the price of new ones makes constant rebuilding of knackered old ones a fools errand.
The perpetuated misprint in the manual doesn't help - you only need to do the drive nut up to 150 lbft regardless of how many holes there are in the CV.
*Bar Horse Power, as measured at the bar with a beer in hand.
Total posts: 663
Last post: Apr 22, 2024 Member since:May 18, 2002
|
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0 WorkBench Posts: 0 |
![]() |
I do feel that the car steers easier, especially at low speed, most likely due to the Metro ball joints. When the front end is jacked up the action is very smooth and easy at the steering wheel.
I use the standard Minispares cones with a set of the "genuine" HiLos and AGX adjustable shocks set pretty much in the middle range of the adjuster.
I'm not positive on the pads currently on the car, they're either EBC Green stuff or Mintex. I tried both but now I can't remember which I settled on, I think it may be the Green stuff, if memory serves I got Mintex pads with the calipers but they were really dusty. Next time I have a wheel off I'll check.
Yes it was expensive but I did it over a few years, Hilos and cones one year, KAD stuff one year, Minisport hubs another, MS calipers and Classic Minis Japan nut another.
I highly recommend the KAD no split tapered washer and the CMJ 12 slot nut, simple to install and no failures.
Total posts: 504
Last post: May 15, 2024 Member since:Jan 25, 2017
|
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0 WorkBench Posts: 0 |
I've estimated that by going with these parts; you have reduced sprung weight by at least 5lbs ( a bag of sugar) on each side. What suspension cone are you using?
I've been looking at the 4 pot pads and I haven't found one with low dust formulation. What pads are you using? It would be a shame to get all the expensive bits covered with that dreaded brake dust.
Total posts: 663
Last post: Apr 22, 2024 Member since:May 18, 2002
|
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0 WorkBench Posts: 0 |
![]() |
I previously had the KAD alloy swivel hubs but had issues with the bearing preload, never truly being able to remove the slightest amount of play regardless of the brand of bearing I used.
I originally replaced the swivel hubs so I could use the Metro sealed ball joints after having a bitch of a time lapping in the original style ball joints, and never being all that satisfied with the result.
I got all of the KAD stuff during a package sale they had probably 7 years ago. I originally ran the stock AP steel calipers, but replaced them with the Minispares 4 piston maybe in '19 really just for the looks and a lot of the UK guys on TMF rave about them. The steel calipers worked fine but were just too much work to keep paint on them.
The Classic Minis Japan nut allows,what I feel is, closer to the correct torque as you don't need to turn the nut as far to get to "the next slot"
The Minisport swivel hubs have been good, I have heard of guys having issues with the stainless threaded inserts pulling out but I didn't have any issues when I installed them using a liberal amount of marine grade never seize designed for stainless bolts as I used the ARP grade 8 stainless bolts on the steering arms and calipers.
I think the Minisport hub is a little nicer than the KAD as they're "handed" where as the KAD are non-handed, they look way better than the stock cast steel hubs and until recently with the introduction of the Japanese sealed ball joints for the stock hubs, the Metro sealed units are cheap and super easy compared to lapping the crappy old style. I don't believe either set allows the use of the dust shields, I use low dust pads so it's never been a problem. A big plus for me is the lack of rust, everything under the front of my car is either anodized aluminum of high strength stainless.
So maybe in a round about way I answered part of the question, someone else will need to chime in about the calipers.
Total posts: 504
Last post: May 15, 2024 Member since:Jan 25, 2017
|
Cars in Garage: 0
Photos: 0 WorkBench Posts: 0 |